Dean Rock: We'll play as many championship games as we can in April

Dean Rock: We'll play as many championship games as we can in April

2017 All-Ireland final free-kick hero Dean Rock expects to tog out with his club in the Dublin senior county championship this April.

The Ballymun Kickhams forward told OffTheBall.com that Dublin manager Jim Gavin will release players back to their clubs after the league campaign and that he expects to play championship matches in Spring.

In an effort to ease fixture congestion for club players, the GAA made a number of changes to the 2018 fixture plan including the commencement of the Allianz Leagues in January which is to help clear the month of April for club games.

"Every player in the county will tell you, or every player in the country will tell you, that they want to play more games than training, so games week-on-week is the ideal thing," commented Rock who also suggested scrapping the two one-week breaks in the middle of the current league campaign format.

"There's little gaps in between that now which is just the way the structure is. But if there was seven games in seven weeks ideally that would be the best thing from a playing perspective because, as I said, you want to be playing competitive games and that's how you improve and that's how the squad grows.

"So for me the league is perfect the way it is but yes we're just looking forward to playing as many games as we can."

The GAA's outgoing Director General Paraic Duffy was unwavering in his belief that intercounty managers have to allow their players return to club duties after their respective league campaigns, when speaking about the issue last week.

"There is no reason in the world why club games can’t go ahead in April," insisted Duffy. "Why should managers get to decide, 'Oh no, that’s not going to happen?'"

Rock doesn't feel there will be any issues in the capital.

"I obviously can't speak for other counties. I know in Dublin, Jim holds the club scene in huge regard and it's massively important to players and to management as well, the club.

"We'll obviously finish up with Dublin whenever we finish up with the league and we'll go back and play with our clubs and get probably two games of the championship in and once we get that in we're back with the county then for the preparations for championship in May.

"It's something that you would like to think that will uphold and everyone will adhere to it. But certainly from a Dublin perspective we'll go back with our clubs in April and play as many championship games or train as many times as we can with our club."